The Rambler

Band Students Break Glenwood Record

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This year, 27 GCHS band students were awarded the honor to become a member of Southwest Iowa Band Association (SWIBA), the highest number of students from Glenwood to ever be accepted. SWIBA is a honor band many students all over the state work hard to join.

Band director David Clark could not be more proud. “I think that all students who make honor band year in and year out work hard,” said Clark. “Most high school students use free time to check their phones or talk to friends. Honor band kids do those things too, but they also spend some of that free time practicing.”

Since October, these students have been working hard to prepare for this competition. Going to lessons six times over the last two months, practicing at home and practicing during seminar, most band students put in at least two hours a week to get to the point at which they can realistically make it into SWIBA.

“I think that with the growth of the band, we have also increased the talent level,” said Clark. “I am giving the same number of lessons that I did when I first started, but we are now retaining students who in the past may have moved out of band and into something else.”

Clark is not the only one who is proud of the band’s success. “Glenwood has a large turnout at the auditions,” said senior and four-time honor band recipient Gavin Rodgers. “We are allowed to take 40 students, and generally, take around that many. This year we set a new personal record, having 27 students make the band, which is an amazing accomplishment for our band program here in Glenwood. The previous record was set last year, with 23 successful auditions.”

The students are rated by two judges, who look at many factors. ”After the judges determine scores for the scales and etudes, they dissect your playing ability by how you sound, how well you stay in tempo, how you articulate and how well you stay in tune throughout each piece,” said senior and three-time honor band recipient Devin Geeser.

Overall, this band has given GCHS another reason to appreciate the fine arts programs. “I am very proud of the leadership and direction of the band,” said Clark. “We know that we control our fate and we can do something about our results before the auditions.”